Messmer questions Sununu appointees to cancer cluster commission

Thursday

Sep 14, 2017 at 3:01 AM

Jeff McMenemy jmcmenemy@seacoastonline.com @JeffreyMcMenemy

PORTSMOUTH — State Rep. Mindi Messmer, D-Rye, is upset that Gov. Chris Sununu appointed three people she considers to be “political appointees” to the Seacoast Pediatric Cancer Cluster Commission that she created.

Sununu picked Stephen Kenda of North Hampton, Janet Stevens of Rye, who ran unsuccessfully against Messmer, and Julie Tucker of Rye to the Commission on the Seacoast Cancer Cluster Investigation, according to Statehouse documents.

“They are three Republicans who have not been involved in the process,” Messmer said Tuesday.

She believes Sununu had much stronger choices of candidates to serve on the commission, including Paula Skelley, whose daughter Lydia Valdez died from one of the cancers identified in the Seacoast Pediatric Cancer Cluster. Skelley submitted a resume to Sununu, as did Portsmouth resident Lindsey Carmichael, who has a master’s degree in public health and serves on the Pease Community Assistance Panel, and Jillian Lane, a Greenland activist, Messmer said.

“I am bothered by the appointments that the governor made, especially when he had other people who have been actively involved in the process, including a mother of a child who died from one of the cancers,” Messmer said. “They would have been active participants and important people to press this important issue.”

Messmer, who is on the commission, said she hopes it will “raise awareness that cancer rates are very high in New Hampshire.”

“The rates of pediatric cancer are on the rise. With the increased number of pediatric brain cancers, this is not getting better, it’s getting worse,” she added.

“As with any aspect of state government, it is important to include a variety of different viewpoints and allow interested individuals the opportunity to offer their time and talents to New Hampshire,” he said. “As residents of the Seacoast, all three of Gov. Sununu’s appointments are looking forward to serving their community as members of the commission.”

Kenda, who lost to Dan Innis in the state Senate District 24 primary last year, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Gov. Maggie Hassan formed a Seacoast pediatric cancer cluster task force in 2016 after state officials detected a small cluster of rhabdomyosarcoma, which caused the deaths of several area children. The state also identified “a small excess of pediatric lung cancer cases” of a single rare type called pleuropulmonary blastoma. Several area parents believe the cancers could have been triggered by environmental factors.

Dr. Tom Sherman, who chairs the task force, said “the way the bill is written it’s Gov. Sununu’s call,” about whom he names to the commission.

“I’ll be on the commission and Mindi’s on the commission. We’ll have to see how they respond,” Sherman said about Sununu's appointees. “I don’t know what their background is in terms of the science. The task force has been science based. It has not been political. I would be disappointed if it becomes partisan or political.”

“I’m hoping the governor was clear with his appointees that there’s a real problem that has to be solved,” he added.

He sent his application to Sununu also, but the governor did not pick him for the commission. The town of Rye did, Sherman said. Asked if he was surprised Sununu didn’t appoint him, Sherman said, “No, I’m a Democrat, I’m not surprised. I understand politics and I’m thankful I can still serve."

He agreed with Messmer that Sununu’s appointees have not actively participated in the process. “I’ve been at every task force meeting and Steve did not attend them,” Sherman said.

The current task force hopes to complete its final reports after two more September meetings, Sherman said.

Messmer also passed two other bills, one that created a commission to study “environmentally-triggered chronic illness,” and a second that created a commission to “study long-term goals and requirements for drinking water in the Seacoast.” She was not appointed to either one, she said.

“It’s disappointing when I’ve worked so hard on these issues but I’m definitely going to attend as many of the commission meetings as I can,” she said. “I’ll sit in the room and put my hand up and they can ignore me if they want, but I’ll be there.”

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